Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

Fluid in the ear is one of the main causes of middle ear infections, also known as acute otitis media (OM). Ear infections occur when fluid (usually pus) appears in the inner ear causing the eardrum to become red and painful, sometimes with fever. However, sometimes fluid stays in the ear even after the inflammation has gone; This condition is called hydrocephalus otitis media (OME). Ear infections and fluid are more common in children than adults. Some home remedies can help get rid of fluid in the ear, although the fluid will go away on its own in most cases. However, treating the underlying cause is still the most important step.

Steps

Part 1 of 4: Diagnosis of the disease

1. 

   Watch out for obvious ear-related symptoms. The most common manifestations of acute otitis media (OM) and otitis media fluid retention (OME) include: ear pain or pulling the ear with your hand (if the child doesn't yet complain of pain), irritability, fever, even vomit. In addition, the baby may not be able to eat or sleep as usual, as the pressure in the ear will change and cause pain when the baby lies, chew or suck.
   • Note that children between three months and two years old are most likely to experience ear infections and accumulation of fluid in the ear. Parents or caregivers need to provide as much information and child's medical history as possible. As such, it is important to monitor and carefully note any symptoms.
   • Know that OME usually has no symptoms. Some people may have a feeling of fullness or “thumping” in their ears.
   • Seek medical attention as soon as you notice fluid, pus, or blood flowing from your ear.

2. 

   
   
   Watch for symptoms related to the "common cold."’ Ear infections are often considered secondary to the "common cold" or primary infection. You should watch for a few days for symptoms like runny nose, stuffy nose, cough, sore throat and low fever, all the typical symptoms of the flu.
   • Most colds and flu cases are caused by viral infections, so usually you don't need to seek medical attention as there is no way to cure a viral infection. Get medical attention only if the fever cannot be reduced with the usual dose of Tylenol or Motrin (and temperature rise to 38.9 ° C). Watch for any flu symptoms as your doctor will need to know about the primary infection. The flu usually lasts only a week. If your condition does not improve after a week, you should see your doctor.

3. 

   
   
   Watch for signs of hearing problems. OM and OME can interfere with sounds, leading to hearing problems. Symptoms that affect hearing include:
   • Do not react to small sounds or other noises
   • The TV or radio volume must be turned on louder
   • Talk at unusually loud volume
   • In general inattention

4. 

   
   
   Understand possible complications. Most ear infections don't lead to long-term complications and usually go away on their own within 2-3 days. However, frequent inflammation and fluid retention can cause serious complications, including:
   • Hearing impairment Ear infections may make it a little harder for the sick person to hear, but more severe hearing loss can result from persistent ear infections or long-term fluid retention, which in some cases can damage membranes. atrium and inner ear.
   • Slow development of speech In young children, hearing loss can lead to speech retardation, especially when the child cannot speak.
   • The infection spreads Untreated or unresponsive infection can spread to other tissues and should be addressed promptly. Mastitis is an infection that can cause bones to protrude behind the ear. This condition not only damages the mastoid bone, but also develops pus-filled tumors. In rare cases, severe otitis media can spread to the skull and affect the brain.
   • Tearing of the eardrum —Sometimes an infection can puncture or tear the eardrum. Most tears usually go away on their own in about 3 days, and in some cases surgery may be required.

5. 

   Make an appointment with your doctor. If you suspect that you have ear infections or otitis media, you should see your doctor for a diagnosis. Your doctor will use an ear canal, a small flashlight-like device, to check your ears. The ear canal helps the doctor see the eardrum. Usually this is the only tool needed for the diagnosis.
   • Be ready to answer questions about the onset and nature of symptoms. If the person sick is a child, you need to respond on behalf of the child.
   • You may need to see an ear, nose and throat specialist if the condition is persistent, recurs frequently, or does not respond to your current treatment.
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Part 2 of 4: Remove fluid from ear

1. 

   Use steroid nasal sprays. This is a prescription medication that can help open the eardrum (Eustachian tube). This drug works to reduce rhinitis, thereby helping to clear the eardrums. However, you should be aware that it takes a few days for the steroid to take full effect; that means you won't see it all right away.

2. 

   Use decongestants. Over-the-counter decongestants can clear the ear and help the fluid drain. You can buy a nasal spray or an oral medicine at most pharmacies. Be sure to use it exactly as directed on the medicine label.
   • Do not use decongestants for more than three days at a time. This drug, if used for a long time, can cause the "opposite effect" of swelling in the nasal passages.
   • Although oral decongestants usually do not "counteract" swelling of the nasal passages, some people experience heart palpitations and high blood pressure.
   • Children may be affected by other side effects such as hyperactivity, restlessness and insomnia.
   • Avoid decongestants that contain zinc. This drug has been associated with permanent (though rare) loss of smell.
   • Check with your doctor before using any decongestants or sprays.

3. 

   Take an antihistamine. Some people find antihistamines effective, especially in long-term sinus infections, as they help reduce congestion.
   • However, antihistamines can cause serious side effects in the sinuses, including drying up the lining of the nasal tissue and thickening secretions.
   • Antihistamines are not recommended to treat uncomplicated sinus infections or ear infections.
   • Other side effects include drowsiness, confusion, blurred vision, and may cause moodiness and agitation in some children.

4. 

   Use steam therapy. Home steam therapy can clear the eardrums and help the fluid drain. All you need is basically just warm towels and hot water.
   • Fill a bowl of hot water. You can add an anti-inflammatory herb to the water, such as tea tree oil or chamomile. Place the towel over your head and let the ear buds stay in the steam. Avoid stretching your neck, and only cover the towel for 10-15 minutes.
   • You can also shower with very hot water, see if the steam can drain the fluid and escape from the ear. Do not try this therapy on children, as the child cannot tolerate extreme temperature changes.

5. 

   Use a hair dryer. Although controversial and not scientifically supported, this method has been found by word of mouth to be effective. Leave the air blowing at the lowest temperature about 30 cm away from the ear. The goal here is to use warm, dry air to turn the fluid in the ear into steam and escape it.
   • Be careful not to burn the ears or face. Stop immediately if it feels painful or too hot.

6. 

   Use a humidifier. To help clear your ears during inflammation or improve your sinus condition, you can place a humidifier in your bedroom on a nightstand next to your painful ear. This helps in the production of steam, while also soothing and reducing the accumulation of fluid in the ear. Humidifiers are useful during winter because indoor air is often very dry due to the action of a heater.
   • Even a hot water bottle placed next to the ear has the same effect and helps the fluid in the ear drain.
   • A cool mist humidifier is recommended for children by reducing the risk of burns or injury.

7. 

   Note that all of these methods have not been validated with scientific data. Most studies suggest that they have little or no effect. After all, most of the time, fluid that builds up in the inner ear usually goes away on its own, unless it's caused by a chronic illness or persistent ear infections.
   • Anyway, these methods actually only treat symptoms (such as fluid in the ear, stuffy, etc.) without addressing the main problem (eg acute otitis media, fluid retention, obstruction. or other problems with the ear canal).
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Part 3 of 4: Treatment of ear infections and persistent fluid retention

1. 

   Understand that there is no best treatment. When determining your treatment regimen, your doctor will consider a number of factors such as your age, type of infection, severity and duration of the infection, frequency of ear infections in your medical history. , and whether the infection causes hearing loss.

2. 

   Use a "wait and see" therapy. In most cases, the human immune system can reverse and heal the ear infection in a short time (usually two to three days).Since most ear infections go away on their own, many doctors advocate a "wait and see" treatment, which means using only pain relievers and not antibiotics to treat inflammation.
   • The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Institute of Family Physicians recommend a “wait and see” treatment for children between six months and two years of age with pain. one in the ear and for children over two years old if it hurts one or two inside ear for at least two days and body temperature below 39 ° C.
   • Many doctors support this treatment because of the inherent limitations of antibiotics, including the fact that antibiotics are often overused, causing antibiotic resistance to rapidly increase. Furthermore, antibiotics do not cure viral inflammation.

3. 

   Take an antibiotic. If the infection does not go away on its own, your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic for 10 days to cure the infection and possibly relieve some symptoms. Antibiotics commonly prescribed include Amoxicillin and Zithromax (Zithromax is used in case of a penicillin allergy). Antibiotics are usually prescribed for people with frequent or severe and extremely painful infections. In most cases, antibiotics can clear the ear fluid.
   • Children six years and older with a diagnosis of mild to moderate ear infections by a doctor may be prescribed an antibiotic for a shorter period of time (5 to 7 days instead of 10).
   • Note that, while rare, benzocaine has been linked to a potentially deadly condition due to hypoxia in the blood, especially in children under two years of age. Do not give benzocaine in children. Adults must take exactly the recommended dosage. Talk to your doctor about possible risks.

4. 

   Always follow the correct antibiotic treatment regimen. Even if your symptoms improve during antibiotic treatment, you still need to make sure you take the recommended dose of the antibiotic. If you are prescribed an antibiotic for 10 days, you need to take it for the full 10 days. However, you should see improvement for 48 hours. A persistent high fever (37.8 ° C or higher) is an indication of resistance to one antibiotic and the doctor may prescribe another one.
   • Note that even after antibiotic treatment has been given, fluid may remain in the ear for months. You should see a doctor after the end of your antibiotic treatment to check for the infection and determine if fluid is still present. Usually, your doctor will make a follow-up appointment about a week after your antibiotic treatment has finished.

5. 

   Use the eardrum incision method. Ear surgery may be selected for persistent fluid in the ear (more than three months after the inflammation has gone or not), recurrent otitis media (three times in six). months or four times in a year and occurred at least once in the past six months), or ear infections are frequent and do not go away with antibiotics. The eardrum incision is intended to drain fluid out of the middle ear and put a catheter in it. Usually you will need to consult an ENT specialist to decide if this procedure is right for you.
   • This is an outpatient surgery. The ENT specialist will put the ear canal into the eardrum through a small incision. This procedure will help ventilate the ear, stop the buildup of fluid, and allow any existing fluid in the middle ear to drain completely.
   • Some catheters are intended to be in place for six months to two years and will fall off on their own. Others are designed to last longer and may need surgery to remove.
   • The eardrum will usually close on its own after the catheter falls off or is removed.

6. 

   Surgical curettage V.A (adenoidectomy). This surgery is to remove the small glands in the throat that are behind the nose (adenoids). This may be an option for cases of persistent and recurrent ear problems. The ear canal runs from the ear to the throat and meets the adenoid. When there is inflammation or swelling (caused by a cold or sore throat), adenoids can put pressure on the inlet of the eardrum. Furthermore, bacteria from adenoids can sometimes spread into the eardrum and cause inflammation. Ear problems and congestion lead to ear infections and fluid retention.
   • This surgery is usually done in children because adenoids in children are larger, so they are more likely to cause problems. With this surgery, the ENT specialist removes the adenoid through the mouth while the patient is under anesthesia. In some hospitals, V.A curettage is done during the day and you can leave that day. In other cases, the surgeon may keep the patient on overnight for monitoring.
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Part 4 of 4: Pain relief

1. 

   Use a warm compress. Apply a warm, wet washcloth to the affected ear area to relieve the pain and throbbing pain. You can use any kind of warm compresses, such as a warm to hot washcloth, wring out the water and press it against your ear for immediate relief. Make sure the water is not too hot, especially when using this method on children.

2. 

   Take pain relievers. Your doctor may recommend over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin IB, Advil) to relieve pain and discomfort. Take exactly the recommended dosage on the medicine label.
   • Use caution when giving aspirin to children or teenagers. Technically, aspirin is considered safe for children over two years of age. However, aspirin has recently been linked to Reye's syndrome, a rare disease that can cause serious liver and brain damage in adolescents who have recently recovered from chickenpox or the flu, and as such. You need to be careful when giving aspirin to teenagers. Consult your doctor if you have any concerns.

3. 

   Ear pain drops. Your doctor may prescribe ear drops such as antipyrine-benzocaine-glycerin (Aurodex) for pain relief, as long as the eardrum is not torn or punctured.
   • When giving ear drops to a child, you should warm the medicine by soaking the bottle in warm water. This is to avoid startling the child as the cold medicine drops into the ear. Let your baby lie on a flat surface with his sore ear facing you. Apply the medication according to the directions on the label. Follow the recommended dosage and do not overdose. Do the same movement as a child or as an adult.
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Advice

• In some cases, otitis media with fluid retention can occur, but there is no previous ear infection. It is possible that the problem is with the ear canal itself.

Warning

• Do not try to remove water from the ear with a cotton swab. This action can push the foreign bodies deeper and damage the eardrum.